Why I nixed shoveling snow

“Snow provokes responses that reach right back to childhood.”

—Andy Goldsworthy

 

By Alex P. Vidal

 

IN 2010 and 2011, I shoveled snow in Canada during the winter season and earned extra bucks. 

A man from San Jose, California who saw my post on Facebook criticized me for not wearing gloves. 

My body heat needed to heat air to keep my hands warm, he reminded me. The more air, the more heat is needed, he added.

“You’re not a machine,” the man, who worked in the facility for senior citizens, chided me. “Unless you are doing it to impress us.” 

He had a point. 

The result is that on cold days our body heat can't keep up with the heat loss from the glove—especially in the fingers. 

This leads to cold fingertips.

I didn’t mind the unsolicited advice, nay rebuke. 

He was right about the gloves as a mandatory stuff when we are exposed to the winter cold outdoor.

What I didn’t know at that time was that shoveling snow wasn’t just a fun or exercise for those who are physically fit like me. 

It could endanger the health of the weak.

On February 1, 2021 during the snow storm in the United States, I nixed an offer to shovel snow for a few bucks in Queens. 

I learned that since shoveling snow uses arm, back and leg muscles, it increases our heart rate and burns about 300 calories in less than an hour.

 

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Whether we are physically fit or not, Conmaugh Health System reminds us we should take care shoveling and be aware of the following: Snow happens when it’s cold outside and a cold environment causes blood vessels to narrow which decreases oxygen to the heart; and

Shoveling or using a snow blower can cause a sudden increase in blood pressure and heart rate which cause clots to form and dislodge.

The following symptoms reportedly are signs of a heart attack and we should stop shoveling immediately and call 911 if we think we are having a heart attack: Squeezing chest pain; Shortness of breath; Pain down the left arm or up into the shoulder; breaking out in a cold sweat; more subtle symptoms like jaw pain, nausea or vomiting; and 

the more of these symptoms we have the higher the risk.

Here are some tips before start to shovel, according to Conmaugh Health System: Warm up our muscles by stretching; cover our mouth and nose so we breathe in warmer air; shovel in light loads and take breaks if there is a lot of snow or we have a lot of area to shovel; drink water to stay hydrated; hire a teenage to shovel for us if we are not physically fit and at risk for a heart attack.

 

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Snow shoveling is a known trigger for heart attacks, warned the Harvard Medical School.

Emergency departments in the snow-belt reportedly gear up for extra cases when enough of the white stuff has fallen to force folks out of their homes armed with shovels or snow blowers.

What’s the connection? 

Many people who shovel snow rarely exercise. Picking up a shovel and moving hundreds of pounds of snow, particularly after doing nothing physical for several months, can put a big strain on the heart, explained the Harvard Medical School.

“Pushing a heavy snow blower can do the same thing. 

Cold weather is another contributor because it can boost blood pressure, interrupt blood flow to part of the heart, and make blood more likely to form clots,” it further explained in Harvard Health Publishing.

We learned further that when a blood clot forms inside a coronary artery (a vessel that nourishes the heart), it can completely block blood flow to part of the heart. 

Cut off from their supply of life-sustaining oxygen and nutrients, heart muscle cells begin to shut down, and then die, it was learned further.

This is what doctors call a myocardial infarction or acute coronary syndrome. 

The rest of us call it a heart attack.

The so-called classic signs of a heart attack are a squeezing pain in the chest, shortness of breath, pain that radiates up to the left shoulder and down the left arm, or a cold sweat, we further learned. 

Other signs that are equally common include jaw pain, lower back pain, unexplained fatigue or nausea, and anxiety.

(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor of two local dailies in Iloilo)

 

 

 

Snow world

“There's no such thing as bad weather, just soft people.”

—Bill Bowerman

 

By Alex P. Vidal

 

AS I write this article, a major snow storm—the worst in five years—was barreling toward the northeast cities, including New York City and Boston, as reported by the National Weather Services (NWS).

When we are told that the storm is a “major” one it could turn into a blizzard, and that means it would produce a thick or abundant snowfall and will give us a “snow world.”

We had been warned two days earlier, thus we aren’t expected to go out until February 2 (Tuesday, U.S. time). 

Appointments and other regular jigs and gimmicks will have to be cancelled altogether.

Snow storm in the middle of a pandemic means another self-imposed “solitary confinement” until everything is back to normal—when ice in the sidewalks starts to melt and won’t pose a threat to those who hit the road to beat the rush hours.

No big deal actually. 

Nowadays when most of us are inside the house, we spend a big chunk of our free time in the Internet and rearranging some stuff.

There’s plenty of domestic chores to tackle, online games to play, books to read, and articles to write.

When the first drop of snow arrived at past four o’clock in the afternoon on January 31 (Sunday), I was rushing to my favorite Chinese restaurant, New Fu Fan & China, on Whitney Avenue in Elmhurst, Queens to secure a take-out order of fried half chicken (good for two days for one person). 

I also dropped by the nearby Walgreens to secure a box of Krispy Kreme doughnuts.

The NWS advised that “treacherous” travel conditions are expected throughout the northeast for a few days, as wind gusts of up to 50 miles per hour are forecast for Monday, February 1, creating blinding, blowing snow. 

 

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It would be the first snow storm in 2021, a “long duration” major winter storm headed toward the U.S. coast; and we could be blanketed with nearly two feet (60.96 cm) of snow on February 1 (Monday, U.S. time).

Snow was expected to begin late Sunday night (January 31)across a wide swath of the northeast, with “in excess of 20 inches of snow in parts of eastern Pennsylvania, northern New Jersey, southern New York, and into southern New England,” the NWS said in bulletin.

The storm could paralyze New York City, which as of Sunday night was forecast to be at the center of the Nor’easter’s bluster, said meteorologist Brian Hurley, of the National Weather Service in College Park, Maryland.

“It’s a widespread area with 10 to 20 inches of snow coming,” Hurley said. 

“The sweet spot looks like it will be right around New York City.”

New York Mayor Bill de Blasio said during a Sunday press conference that schools would be closed on Monday and that officials are rescheduling appointments for coronavirus vaccinations.

“There’s going to be tremendous danger and difficulty getting around on Monday,” de Blasio warned. “The last thing we want to do is urge our seniors to come out in the middle of a storm like this.”

He added: “This storm is growing all the time. We’ve got a much more intense situation.”

 

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The American Res Cross, meanwhile, has warned us to be cautious and “stay safe during a winter storm or blizzard” and to observe the following:

-Stay indoors and wear warm clothes. Layers of loose-fitting, lightweight, warm clothing will keep you warmer than a bulky sweater. If you feel too warm, remove layers to avoid sweating; if you feel chilled, add layers.

-Listen to a local station on battery-powered radio or television or to NOAA Weather Radio for updated emergency information.

-Bring our companion animals inside before the storm begins.

Move other animals to sheltered areas with a supply of non-frozen water. Most animal deaths in winter storms are caused by dehydration.

Eat regularly. Food provides the body with energy for producing its own heat.

-Keep the body replenished with fluids to prevent dehydration. Drink liquids such as warm broth or juice. Avoid caffeine and alcohol. Caffeine, a stimulant, accelerates the symptoms of hypothermia. Alcohol, such as brandy, is a depressant and hastens the effects of cold on the body. Alcohol also slows circulation and can make you less aware of the effects of cold. Both caffeine and alcohol can cause dehydration.

-Conserve fuel. Winter storms can last for several days, placing great demand on electric, gas, and other fuel distribution systems (fuel oil, propane, etc.). Lower the thermostat to 65° F (18° C) during the day and to 55° F (13° C) at night. Close off unused rooms, and stuff towels or rags in cracks under the doors. Cover the windows at night.

Check on relatives, neighbors, and friends, particularly if they are elderly or if they live alone.

(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor of two local dailies in Iloilo)